Mat for horse-stalls



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-"Sheet 2.

L. s; STOWE." MAT FOR HORSE STALLS.

No. 385,149. Patented.J1111e'26, 1888.

WTNESSES- INVENTOR.

linirnn STATES PATENT @rrrca LEROY S. STOVVE, OF NEWRY, MAINE.

MAT FQR HORSE-STALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,149, dated June 26,1888.

Application filed March 26,1888. Serial No. 268,499. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY S. Srown, of Newry, in the county of Oxfordand State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMats for Horse'Stalls; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top plan of the mat-frame, a part being broken off. Fig. 2is a section showing the metal platein position. Fig. 3 is part ofacross-section. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a part of the frame. Fig. 5is a detail showing a different locking device, and Figs. 6 and 7 aredetails showing the metal plate pivoted at one end.

Same letters in all the figures refer to like parts.

My invention relates to improvements in mats for horse-stalls, andisdesigned to afford and maintain an even distribution of the bedding tohold it in place and to preventit from soaking in the urine. Its objectis to make a mat which shall be light, easily handled, and guickly andconveniently filled with the beding.

It consists of a series of sections, each composed of two wooden barshaving between them a plate around which to wind the bedding, a band tohold these parts together, and a central rod or bar upon which severalsections are placed, and a locking device to secure the metal plate whenloaded between the wooden bars.

Each section ofmyinvention hastwo wooden bars, a. The bars a have theirupper adjacent edges hollowed out or beveled, asshown in Fig. 4, andmarked b. The bars a are held in place by the bands 0, which areattached to the sides near the ends and pass underneath the bars. Thebands 0, extending somewhat below the bottom of the bars, serve as asupport for the mat-frame, thus giving an open space between the barsand the floor and allowing the urine to flow away.

Between the bars a, I place a metal strip or plate, (15, having the legsawhich rest on the band 0, the projection f, which fits into a sockbetween the bars a when the plate has been loaded with the bedding.

(1, near the middle, passes a rod, Z.

passes also through the slot j.

The object of the rod Z is to bind several sec- Through the bars TherodZ tions together. A rack, h, is placed lengthwise.

near or at the side of the stall, having socket 9 cut therein at properdistances to receivethe projectionsf of the metal plate (I. The plate (Ican be locked in its place by the long narrow button It, or by a hookhung above the slot j on a pivot in the legi, as seen in Fig. 5, saidhook being marked it and being so hung as to swing under the bar or rodZ.

My improved stallmat may have all its sections held together by a singlerod, or it may be made in several parts, each composed of a certainnumber of sections. This will befound very convenient and useful, sincethe rear part of the mat would become soiled and worn out before thefront part, and by this arrangement only that part need be taken up andrefilled.

The plate d may be locked by any eonvenient device,two of which I haveillustrated and described.

The side of the middle leg upon which there is no button maybe cutaway,as shown in Fig. 1, to facilitate the removal of the plate frombetween the bars.

Fig. 6 shows a different arrangement of the metal plates. The plate ispivoted. at one end on a bar, 0, the ends of which are inserted in theside of the wooden bars, the plate thus admitting of being opened andshut similar to the blade of ajack-knife. On the other end of the plateis a button or other locking device, k, substantially as shown. Whenthus arranged, the bedding is laid across the opening between the woodenbars and theplateshut down upon it and the button turned, thus holdingit in place.

Having thus described my invention and its use, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A mat composed of a series of sections, each section composed of twowooden bars having their upper adjacent edges cut away and being boundand held together by bands which support them above the floor, and ametal plate Wound with bedding plfised between said bars, substantiallyas and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth. 7

2. In a mat for horse stalls, the combination, with a series of sectionscomposed of bars a and plate (1, arranged as above described, of a bar,Z, passing through the bars and slot in the middle leg of the plate,substantially as set forth. p

3. A mat for horse-stalls composed of a series of sections united by atransverse bar,

, each section composed of two wooden bars bound and held rigidly byaband attached to the outer sides of said bars and extending below andunderneath them, and a metal stripbetween said wooden bars pivoted atone end and having a locking device on the other end, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a mat for horse-stalls, the combination, with racks h, havingsockets gtherein, of aseries of sections united by a transverse rod,each section composed of two wooden bars held rigidly by a band, and athin strip between said bars having projectionsf on its ends, the 25said projections fitting into the sockets of the racks, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoin'gas my own I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

LEROY S. STOWE. itnesses:

A. E. HERRIOK,

ELLERY G; PARK.

